5 Reasons ‘Who Shot Mr. Burns?’ is the Ultimate Simpsons Episode You Can’t Miss!

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For more than three decades, The Simpsons has kept people across the globe in fits of laughter. Among all episodes, none are as finely crafted, filled with humor, and intricately plotted as the two-part series “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” The story revolves around C. Montgomery Burns, Springfield’s wealthy, nefarious owner of the Nuclear Power Plant, who devises a plan to darken Springfield by blocking out the sun. However, one enigmatic resident shoots Mr. Burns (who miraculously survives). As the mystery unfolds in the second part of the series, the question of Mr. Burns’ attacker becomes central, with the revelation being a twist only The Simpsons could conceive.

Narrowing down the most memorable episodes from the lengthy and seemingly endless run of “The Simpsons” can feel like venturing into an infinite rabbit hole filled with absurd humor. This is particularly true during the ’90s, a period often referred to as “The Simpsons” golden age, where the classic episode “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” first aired. Despite the abundance of excellent episodes, “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” encapsulated everything that makes “The Simpsons” unique into a fantastic two-part story. Here are five reasons why “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” stands out as the best “Simpsons” adventure.

“Who Shot Mr. Burns?” Is a Legitimate Simpsons Mystery Story

Over the course of its long run, “The Simpsons” has masterfully combined dry humor with cartoonish absurdity. An episode like the one where Homer and Marge’s marital issues take center stage can effortlessly incorporate elements such as Homer being whisked away to a fantastical realm and encountering a talking dog – specifically, “El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer” from Season 8 – without any compromise of its own internal consistency (though the rules are often bent in the annual “Treehouse of Horror” episodes). The episode “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” is particularly noteworthy on the show, standing out as a well-crafted whodunit comedy mystery.

In this story, “The Simpsons” signature blend of humorous antics is abundant, featuring oddities like Chief Wiggum’s vision triggered by coffee cream, where Lisa guides him to clues, and Homer’s escape reminiscent of The Fugitive after a false arrest. Despite these comical elements, the narrative is also a skillfully woven mystery surrounding the Springfield Police and Lisa as they unravel the case of Mr. Burns’ potential assassin. “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” maintains an air of suspense throughout, as various characters in Springfield have motives to harm Mr. Burns, such as Moe and Principal Skinner suffering financial losses from his oil drilling operation, or Homer feeling overlooked by a boss who forgets his name after 10 years. Unlike other episodes or two-parters, “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” keeps viewers guessing until the very end, revealing the identity of the assailant.

Mr. Burns Gets to Hatch His Greatest Villain Plot

In no other character has corporate wickedness been portrayed more humorously than C. Montgomery Burns, and “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” offers him an opportunity to unleash his most diabolical scheme yet. As soon as he learns about an oil well beneath Springfield Elementary School, Mr. Burns becomes determined to seize the geological riches hidden under Springfield immediately. True to the humor of “The Simpsons,” Mr. Burns attempts, unsuccessfully, to acquire the oil legally by disguising himself as Jimbo Jones and suggesting a preposterous plan to transfer the oil to Springfield’s Nuclear Power Plant (with Smithers providing minimal assistance using a regular school stapler).

Upon draining oil from the school, causing harm to Bart’s cherished dog, Santa’s Little Helper, Mr. Burns shifts his focus onto a new adversary he dubs the Sun. His plan involves erecting a colossal visor to obstruct sunlight, thereby escalating energy consumption in Springfield and boosting the profits of his nuclear power plant. This entire sequence unfolds within the realm of the Simpsons universe, but “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” manages to elevate Mr. Burns from routine villainy to a cartoonish level of supervillainy, as Smithers puts it. The storyline is tailored with an appropriately ominous and Simpsons-esque twist, making it fitting for the sinister character. Interestingly, this two-parter also triggers significant transformations in other characters, including Mr. Burns himself.

“Who Shot Mr. Burns?” Made Smithers a More Three-Dimensional Character

On The Simpsons, Waylon Smithers, Mr. Burns’ assistant, is usually depicted as a corporate flatterer who adores Mr. Burns excessively, even entertaining romantic feelings towards him. However, this dynamic shifts when Mr. Burns decides to steal oil from Springfield Elementary School. For the first time in The Simpsons’ series, Smithers attempts to dissuade Mr. Burns from his scheme, arguing that “This isn’t a rival company you’re fighting against; it’s a school. People won’t tolerate this!” Smithers is even more appalled by Mr. Burns’ plan to block the sun, and his decision to defy his boss results in him losing his job and plunging into alcoholism.

In “Who Shot Mr. Burns?”, Smithers appears more relatable and human than his typical character on The Simpsons. This is particularly evident when he’s portrayed as a man who loses everything while attempting to save someone he respects from the corrupting influence of greed that has consumed Mr. Burns. Despite not being the actual shooter, the episode cleverly positions Smithers as the strongest suspect, both because he feels betrayed by Mr. Burns and because he’s standing up for the people of Springfield against him. By the end of the two-part series, Smithers returns to his usual role as Mr. Burns’ assistant, but “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” is notable for offering a more developed portrayal of Smithers than ever before on The Simpsons.

“Who Shot Mr. Burns?” Was a Bridge Between The Simpsons Seasons 6 & 7 (& Kept Viewers on a Huge Cliffhanger All Summer)

TV shows often end a season with a cliffhanger, resolving it in the next season’s opening. Remarkably, “The Simpsons” masterfully employs this technique in the two-part episode titled “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” The first part was aired on May 21st, 1995, concluding Season 6, leaving viewers curious for four months until the second part debuted on September 17th of the same year, marking the start of Season 7. This cliffhanger method is usually effective in keeping an audience engaged over such a time frame. However, this was “The Simpsons,” concluding Season 6 with Chief Wiggum’s uncertain promise to investigate who shot Mr. Burns.

That summer, Fox Television introduced an intriguing marketing campaign involving the popular show “The Simpsons.” They invited viewers to speculate on who shot Mr. Burns. This included a phone-in contest for fans to submit their theories and a dedicated website, Springfield.com, which was rare at the time as the Internet wasn’t yet a significant part of everyday life. The suspenseful finale and the Fox campaign were incredibly effective, with viewers worldwide eager to discover the identity of the enigmatic shooter just as much as Lisa Simpson herself. It was only “The Simpsons” that could create such an intriguing attempted murder mystery and then brilliantly leave everyone guessing in the end.

The Twist Ending Is Pure Simpsons Hilarity

After discovering, in the 138th episode of “The Simpsons,” titled “Who Shot Mr. Burns?”, it turned out that baby Maggie was the one responsible for shooting Mr. Burns. This surprising twist was a typical example of the unique plot twists found only on “The Simpsons.” In any other sitcom, this revelation would have seemed absurd, but “The Simpsons” managed to pull off the most unconventional twist by revealing that during a struggle between Mr. Burns and Maggie over a lollipop, his gun accidentally discharged, leading to him being shot.

Indeed, various alternative conclusions were created featuring characters like Smithers, Moe, Apu, Tito Puente, Barney Gumble (originally suspected to be the perpetrator before Maggie), and Santa’s Little Helper firing Mr. Burns. However, these outcomes were intentionally fabricated to maintain the episode’s surprise ending and were later presented in “The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular,” together with a false finale implicating Smithers as the shooter and penalizing him with a 5% salary reduction. The revelation of Maggie as the one who shot Mr. Burns encapsulates the essence of what makes The Simpsons an enduring, beloved animated sitcom – a preposterously amusing twist that can only thrive in a universe where Homer Simpson serves as the Nuclear Power Plant’s safety inspector. Consequently, “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” remains, after three decades, The Simpsons’ pinnacle achievement, embodying the very qualities that make it comedy treasure.

The Simpsons is available to stream on Disney+.

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2025-03-26 23:11